As the hours droned and the sunlight increasingly hurt her head, Chrissy knew that this shift was going to be impossible to endure. Each scent manifested a stronger headache than the last and when Mrs. Jefferson came by for her daily dose of free samples Chrissy had to excuse herself to the staff room, deciding to take her break early in a final attempt at salvation.
Melissa, her senior, walked in with a sour expression, “You alright, Chrissy? You’ve been in here for 25 minutes… Feeling okay?”
Chrissy nodded instantly, pasting a cookie cutter smile onto her glossed lips, “Yeah— totally! I’m so fine, Mel, thank you. Just a little tired…”
“Hmm, okay. If you’re sure… just push through, okay? Not long left.”
Her enthusiasm tightened Chrissy’s chest, but have it be known that Chrissy was a trooper and she could withstand anything if she disassociated hard enough. So, out she went onto that soulless and dull shop floor, her smile reading both a warm invitation and friendship as she greeted customers at the front desk and aided her colleagues in making sale after sale.
“Would you like a bag?” She’d gleam.
“Care to donate?” Her confidence wavered.
“Round up for charity?” The words were prickly on her tongue and stuck in her throat.
30 more minutes, she told herself when her painted eyes flickered to the nearest clock. It read 2:30pm. Just 30 more minutes and she is free. Free to do as she pleases. Free to—
“Chrissy, you seem chirpier! Would you mind covering for Laura until 5:00pm today? She has to shoot off…” Apparently Laura always had somewhere to be on a Friday afternoon. Undoubtedly getting ready for whatever rager of a party that was happening later that night.
Just like that, as every Friday seemed to go nowadays, Chrissy watched her evening evaporate from her strained white knuckled grasp. Her plans of errands unreachable now above the mass of bottled designer fragrances lined up orderly on the shelves.
“Yeah… sure, Mel. I can do that.” Internally she winces, longing to escape the public eye and rid herself of this pressure to perform.
But what is it they say about idle hands again? Ah yes.
Perfect for the Devils work…
Perhaps it’s best if Chrissy does try to stay busy. To keep herself from wandering astray…
